Listen (Whouffaldi)
by SaveRockAndRose
Summary: When Clara Oswald discovers that she's pregnant with the late Danny Pink's baby, she turns to the man who travels across the stars for help.
1. Chapter 1

She hadn't been able to tell him.

She'd wanted to save the biggest, most important news for last. If she had just spit it out, maybe he would still be here. Maybe he would've stopped before the car hit him. She could've saved him if she hadn't been so stupid.

Now it was too late. Danny was gone, and he'd given up his one chance to come back. She knew why, completely understood. If she'd been in his situation, she would've given the life back to the child that she'd taken as well. She'd thought he was strong and selfless for being able to do that. But that didn't mean she wasn't heartbroken.

She didn't know what to do now. It had only been a few weeks, but she knew she couldn't keep this hidden much longer. It'd be obvious soon enough - she was already two months along. The bump wasn't really there, and through strategically placed bathroom visits at school and purposefully splitting off from the Doctor during adventures, she'd been able to hide her morning sickness so far. But soon enough, it wouldn't be such an easily kept secret.

Pacing through her apartment, she let out a sigh and glanced out the window. She couldn't help but think it would be easier if he was still here. He'd convince her not to be scared. Give her the strength to tell the Doctor. That had been the part to concern her the most.

Her dad would probably take the news well. He'd just be happy that she wouldn't be alone once he passed. And the kids at school wouldn't mind. The nicest of them would likely just congratulate her and she'd leave once it was time to.

But the Doctor...her Doctor. She couldn't tell him.

Placing her palm on the glass of the window lightly, she stares out into the rain. It was always pretty rainy here, but it had been especially stormy recently. She wasn't exactly surprised, spring was coming, but she couldn't help but miss the sun and its warmth. All of the warmth in her life, really.

She'd loved Danny. He'd been important to her, and a great boyfriend. Dinner and kisses during prep hour at school, runs, movies on the couch...they'd done it all. If she had been able to tell him, he probably would've been happy and supportive. It was just the person that he was.

But Danny wasn't the only one she'd loved. He wasn't the one she'd loved the most, either.

The sound of the oven timer ringing pulled her out of her thoughts and she made her way to the kitchen. She'd never stopped trying, and she still hoped she could get it right. But she never let her hopes get too high as she'd never succeeded.

Maybe this would be the one. The soufflé to survive her awful cooking skills.

Grabbing her oven mits, she took a deep breath and opened the oven. Squeezing one eye shut and squinting the other, she peered down at that soufflé.

Flat, fallen, ruined.

She let out a sigh and pulled out the failure, dumping it into the trash before sinking down against the counter. A ruined soufflé, made by a person with a ruined life. What a coincidence.

But she'd spent her time crying about it. She'd had her fair share of laying in bed sobbing, letting herself shrink down in the shower and those spontaneous moments of sadness. Not that she was done grieving - she wasn't even close - but she knew she needed to act quickly.

The Doctor wouldn't take very long to figure out. He was the smartest, most observant man she knew. That anyone knew, really. And because of all the time he'd spent on Earth and the human companions he'd had in the past, she figured it was safe to assume he knew the signs. He would know before anyone else she could tell, and she needed to tell him herself instead of letting him figure it out and be hurt that she said nothing.

But the problem was..she couldn't. She couldn't tell the man she loved that she was pregnant with someone else's baby.

Maybe it wasn't the same for him. Hell, he might even be happy for her. Or as close as happy as the grumpy man could get. She'd never assumed he loved her in return, even with the flirting when he had the chin and the hair. She knew he cared about her, but it wasn't likely that he loved her like she loved him.

That wouldn't make it any easier for her, though.

Danny and the Doctor were two different worlds for her. Danny was Earth and school, dinner dates. The Doctor was adrenaline and adventures and the TARDIS. The thought of mixing them again after what had happened last time...she couldn't.

The only times the worlds had merged, it had caused disasters. Danny being angry with her for not telling him about the Doctor, the kids being put in danger in the forest...Danny becoming a Cyberman. If she did it again..anything could happen.

Maybe it'd be alright. Maybe he would take it well and support her through it - the helpful friend he'd been since the beginning.

But maybe it would cause some sort of tragedy. Disaster. She didn't really know what, but she knew she couldn't be held responsible again and live with herself.

Clara Oswald was pregnant, in love with the Doctor, and had no clue what to do.


	2. Chapter 2

She was already awake when she heard the wheezing of the TARDIS in her living room, but she hadn't gotten out of bed.

She hadn't seen the point, really. She wasn't needed anywhere today, and she just didn't want to move. Her head was pounding, she was nauseous, and her nerves were going crazy.

She'd barely slept last night anyways, and that tiredness was yet another reason not to get up. Thinking of ways to tell the Doctor she was pregnant might've been the hardest thing she'd ever had to do, and none of her ideas had seemed right.

"Clara?" he called out, and she couldn't help but smile sadly at the sound of his voice. He had a way of making her feel better, even if he was at the center of her problems.

Footsteps echoed through the apartment as he approached her bedroom door, rapping on it quietly. He'd always respected her privacy, and she couldn't help but wonder if that might've stemmed from a past incident with a companion. Walking in on changing? A bath? Sex? Or maybe he was really just a gentleman. The world may never know.

"Claaaarraa? Are you awake? Humans sleep too often, you should be," he started with a call and ended mumbling.

"Yes, Doctor. Come in," she said softly, moving her blanket up over her stomach. Of course she wasn't really showing yet, but she couldn't be sure.

He opened the door swiftly, and she allowed herself to smile again at the sight of him. Red lined coat, all black otherwise. Messy gray hair tumbling down gently, content expression. It had only been a few days, but she had missed him.

"Ah. Still in bed. Someone's lazy," he teased, stepping into the room.

"Sorry. Wasn't expecting you," she replies, sitting up and leaning back against the headboard.

"You're always expecting me. Middle of class, you're ready to go. Right before a date, ready. A very punctual human. Uncommon," he said with a wave of his hand, looking down at her.

"Mm. And to what can I owe the pleasure of seeing you?" she mumbled with a yawn, ignoring his anti-human ranting.

"Boredom. I could've just traveled to Wednesday, but I figured I'd just plop in now. Surprise you. I hear being spontaneous keeps it interesting."

"When is it not interesting? Almost every time I see you I'm running for my life," she replied with a tired smile.

"Adrenaline and adventure probably get tired out after a while," he said, scooping up a discarded show off the floor and examining it. One of the things she loved about him - always busy.

"You've been their best friend for over 1,000 years. You'd be the judge," she sighed through stretches and yawns. He probably wanted her to get up and go with him, she assumed, but she was almost certain all of her loose shirts and dresses were dirty. She'd have to figure something else out.

"Suppose so," he replied, turning the high heel upside down. "How is this efficient? Such a skinny heel, you'll fall and break your ankle if you're running."

"Why you don't run in them, Doctor," she mutters, standing up slowly and walking into the bathroom. Her head continued to pound, throat constricting with nausea, but she couldn't let him know.

"Why own them if you can't run in them? Get yourself some trainers. 'Tenneis.' Sandshoes. Something practical," he yells over to her, plopping down on her bed.

Something about his action caused her heart to skip a beat. It was enough seeing him in her bedroom to send thoughts flying to her head, but seeing him on her bed drove her a bit mad. But of course the cause of her pain and sweat came from sex, and that was the last thing she wanted to think of at that moment.

"Let me shower and get dressed. I promise you that the shoes will be 'practical'," she replied playfully, closing the bathroom door. He could occupy himself for a few minutes. Otherwise she'd never be able to get this headache under control.

Digging through her cabinet, she manages to find herself some painkillers. She swallowed them with some water from the tap before turning on the shower and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure how in the hell she'd manage to go anywhere right now, but she couldn't exactly tell the Doctor that she was suffering from some shitty morning sickness.

She could hear him messing with her things while she lathered up, doing everything in her power to wash the pain away. There was nothing he couldn't see out there anyways - all hints of the baby were gone. And she'd always been a sort of open book with him (aside from now), and she trusted him to know about things going on in her life.

"Humans are so slow," he complained loudly through the door, and she smiled at the thought of him leaning against it, waiting for her.

"Five minutes, Doctor. You can wait five minutes," she scolds, rinsing off.

"But five minutes for you is 1,000 years for me."

"You're a timelord, you can handle it," she stepped out of the shower, drying herself off and wrapping a towel around her hair. The warm water had helped her headache, and she knew that once the ibuprofen kicked in that she'd feel even better. The urge to vomit still kicked at her throat, however, and she wasn't sure she could keep it down much longer.

Grabbing her clothes off of the counter, she gets herself dressed quickly and opens the door. He sat on the floor by her bookshelf, flipping through pages of Slaughterhouse Five waiting.

"See? That wasn't so bad," she mumbled, pulling socks up onto her feet. Grabbing those 'efficient' shoes he'd mentioned, she walked over to him and sat down on the floor, facing him.

"I'll be the judge of that," he grumbled, closing the book and sliding or back into its place. "So. Cocktails on the moon?"

As much as she wanted a drink (and she did), she shook her head. Tying the laces of her Converse, she bites her lip to help keep the waves of nausea back.

"Alright..gardens of Sontar? It's a lovely place when they aren't at war," he muttered, more to himself than anything.

"Mm...sounds lovely," she said quietly, putting all of her focus into holding back what rumbled in her stomach.

"You look terrible. Worse than usual," he said, reaching his arm over to her. Resting his hand on her arm, he leans down a bit to be level with her head.

"Thanks, Doctor. You really know how to make a girl feel special," she teased back, trying to make herself appear like everything was fine.

"Your body temperature is warmer than it should be. Sick?"

"I'm alright. Just a cold," she said, slowly rising to her feet. His hand fell slowly, sliding down her arm, but he attempted to hide it by standing as well.

"Are you sure? You're a fragile species, we could postpone."

"Doctor, I'm fine-"

And then was running to the bathroom, kneeling down as quickly as she could and throwing up into the toilet.

"Oh, Clara.." he sighed, following her in. He leaned down next to her, placing a hand on her back and comfortingly moved it up and down to soothe her.

She hated this. Hated the fact that she had feel so terrible, hated that she couldn't let it out, hated keeping something so important from him while he was only trying to help.

After it was over, she moved back, closing the lid and flushed it away. He kept his eyes on her, concerned, but backed away as she moved to brush her teeth for a second time that morning.

"I highly doubt that's a cold. Likely the flu," he said with a frown, leaning against the doorframe. She was thankful for the toothbrush to be a reason for her silence and she nodded silently.

"Get back into bed. I'll bring you some water - hydration is important. Fluids. Lots of fluids," he muttered, walking off toward her kitchen. She sighed, wiping the water off of her chin and dragged herself back to her bed, kicking her shoes off.

It was too late to pretend to be fine. She knew she could only ride out the "I'm sick" excuse for so long until she had to tell him.

He was back in a moment, handing her a glass of ice water and she took it thankfully. Even with the mint of the toothpaste, the taste in her mouth disgusted her and she was happy to wash it away.

"Anything else? Soup? Tea? TV remote? Cell phone?-"

"I'll be fine. Thank you," she cut him off, setting the glass on her nightstand and sinking back under her comforter.

"I can go if you'd like. Sickness can lead to irritability, you might want to be alone," he explains with a shrug. She could see in his expression that he didn't want to leave her like this, and she made a mental note of what a fantastic friend he truly was.

"That's alright. I like the company. I've missed you, Doctor," she mumbled and pulled the blanket up over half of her face. His hand moved to the top of her head, softly smoothing her hair back and she noticed the pain in her head was almost entirely gone.

"Good. The flu might wind up turning into something else. You're not a difficult species to kill off," he smiled comfortingly down at her.

It's not the flu, she was tempted to say. She didn't want him to worry about her, not over something that was natural. She knew she would be fine.

Noticing a change in her expression at the mention of her sickness, he cocked his head a bit. "Maybe I should run some scans. Make sure it's nothing worse."

Her eyes widened a bit as she imagined him scanning her only to see what she as hiding. "N-no! It's nothing, I know it."

"Aggressive...too aggressive," he spoke quietly. "What's going on here, Clara?"

"Nothing, just the flu. I uh..I already went to the doctors office a bit ago," she lied.

"You were in your pajamas a bit ago. And if you knew it was the flu, you wouldn't have told me it was just a cold before. You're hiding something."

Oh no. No, no, no, he was piecing it together. She could see it in his eyes, she could feel it in her bones.

"I..." she couldn't think of what to say. Countless thoughts and scenarios of how she'd tell him in her head, out the window. Not that any of them were anything like this.

"Clara...are you sick? I-I'm sure I can find something, we can make you well-"

"N-no...I'm not sick. I'm perfectly healthy, don't worry.." she reassured him, looking up into his bright eyes, hating the concern and worry in them.

"But you're vomiting, what could cause that that wouldn't mean you're sick-...oh. Clara."

She bit her lip, feeling tears start to form in her eyes. He knew.

"Are you...expecting?" he asks, his voice and face quickly absolved of all emotion. If he was hiding anything, he was certainly doing one hell of a job.

"Yes, I...Doctor, I'm pregnant."


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor didn't know what to say.

He has figured maybe something was wrong. She lagged behind a bit on their adventures, smiled sadly as if she was hiding something from him and just didn't seem to be herself. But he had thought it was just because of Danny.

This...this he never would've expected. Clara, pregnant.

His mind was racing. He couldn't let her know that, though, or course. Couldn't let her see what he really thought and felt.

So he did what he does best. He hid it with a blank expression and a calm voice.

It had become easy for him after all of these years. Always hiding, always running away from that confrontation. He'd never liked to burden his companions with his sadness and guilt - their lives were too short to worry about him. He knew they would be supported him as they had been great friends, but there were certain lines he couldn't ever cross.

This was one of them. He couldn't exactly tell Clara that he was hurt. That the thought of her and Danny...put a pit in his stomach and torment in his mind and heart. He couldn't tell her that seeing her happy with him had been slowly killing him since the start.

The Doctor couldn't tell Clara Oswald that he was in love with her, and he couldn't tell her that this was the worst news he had ever received.

Peering down at her, he slowly stops moving his hand through her hair. Standing up straight he flashes her a quick smile of reassurance. "Clara Oswald, a mother. Congratulations."

He could tell how nervous she was. How she hadn't wanted him to know; and he couldn't help but wonder why. They were friends - hell, he was likely her best friend and she was certainly his. The secrecy concerned him a bit, sending thoughts of her distrust toward him whipping through his mind.

She stayed silent for a moment, gazing up at him with fear in her chocolate brown eyes. She quickly redeemed herself, however, masking it with a smile in return to his. "Thank you," she said softly.

The moment of silence that followed only allowed more pain to sear itself into his hearts.

"So," he said casually. "How far along? Male? Female? Neither? Both?"

"I-I'm not sure yet. 9 weeks, that's what the doctor said," she responded quietly, slowly sitting up again. She grabbed the water from the beside table, slowly lifting it to her lips. Her hands were shaking - her nerves hadn't settled.

"Ah, I see," he said, the first thought in his head that she not only had sex with Danny Pink but that it was somewhat recent.

As much as he hated himself for it, he couldn't say he was upset over the loss of him. Danny had been an alright person, but it meant that Clara was free again. Not that he would ever go for anything.

The only thing about that ordeal that had truly upset him was seeing how much pain she was in. He'd known she'd loved him, and he understood what it was like to lose someone that important to you. He hated seeing her look tired, alone. The redness under her eyes, her out of it expression, her sullen posture. He hated himself for not being able to fix it and make her happy again.

Seeing her cry was likely the worst sight he had ever seen, and he had seen bloodshed and war and death, likely more than anyone else.

"D-Danny was...the, the um," she said quickly, flustered. Fidgeting with the glass in her hands, she occupied herself by staring down at her lap.

"The father," he finished for her quietly, keeping his eyes on her. She was blinking too frequently, inhaling too quickly and even if she was trying to hide it, he knew her eyes were watering.

"Yes...the father," she repeated, her voice beginning to crack like she was about to cry. He slowly sat on the edge of the bed, carefully removing the glass from her hands and she looked at him in confusion.

"Clara..I know. I..I understand," he said. He'd never been the best at comforting people, especially not in this regeneration. He'd tried, been gentle with those in pain but it never turned out the way that he wanted it to.

She bit her lip, drawing in another breath slowly. He could see that she was trying to calm herself. She didn't want to break down in front of him.

"I..I've lost people before. People very dear to me. I understand the pain, Clara, I do," he continued in a soft voice, trying to tiptoe his way through it. "It's not easy..I know. And it's alright to be hurt. You don't have to hide- you don't have to hide from me."

A tear slid down her face slowly, and he just wanted to hold her. To scoop her into his arms and not let go until every ounce of pain and hurt inside of her was gone.

"I'm here. I'm here for you, I'm your friend...you don't have to go through this alone. It's going to be alright.."

She was crying now. Her shoulders trembled, her eyes traveled down away from his and he gave into his instinct. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her closer to him gently. She didn't seem to mind, burying her face into his shoulder as her cries crashed through her, turning to sobs.

There wasn't much that he could do, and he knew that. Nothing he could say would make her stop hurting.

But the Doctor loved Clara and he was willing to try.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a week since she'd told him.

She still hated herself for breaking down in front of him like that. He shouldn't have to be concerned with her silly problems, let alone help her with them.

He'd offered to let her stay on the TARDIS full time for a while if she'd like, just to get away from everything. She'd declined, however - she couldn't go to work without a bump one day and show up the next eight months pregnant.

He'd insisted upon a few days, at the least, though, and she'd accepted.

Sitting in the TARDIS library, she sipped from her tea quietly. This was her favorite room on the ship, she thought, likely because of the warm and comforting atmosphere.

The ship had been quite kind to her since she'd boarded, likely because the old girl knew. She'd run baths filled with rose petals for her, adjusted the temperature of each room to be perfect and replaced the mattress in her room with softer memory foam. Clara appreciated it - her aching back and head did too.

Looking down at the book in front of her, she let out a content sigh. She'd been so nervous and stressed recently over keeping this secret from the Doctor, and it was nice to be able to let go of that. She didn't exactly feel perfect, though - it had broken her heart to see him hiding something in his expression. She didn't know what was wrong, but she could tell he wasn't as happy for her as he claimed.

She hoped he wasn't hurt by it. The worst scenario she could think of was that he was upset with her for it, and she didn't want that.

Of course he had said congratulations and been supportive as she knew he would, but there was something about him that put a pit in her stomach. She knew he wasn't okay with it, she just didn't know why.

Closing the book, she sets it back on the shelf next to her to finish later. Her mind was racing too much to focus on the words, and she whispered a silent apology to J.K. Rowling for not being able to pay attention.

Standing, she slowly walks out of the giant room and into the familiar hallway. She followed it down to the console room where she could see the Doctor gazing back and forth between a specific control and a book.

"Doctor?" she called out, leaning against the railing. He looked up at her, seeming a tad irritated that she'd broken his focus.

"Yes? What is it, Clara, I'm trying to fix-" he mumbled the rest of it to himself, using his sonic to tinker with the set of knobs and levers in front of him.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to know what you're hungry for," she said, feeling her stomach rumble at the thought of food.

"Oh, uh, anything is alright. You take your pick."

"You've said that every night since I got here. You don't have to be so nice to me just because I'm..you know," she said calmly, making her way up to where he was standing. Leaning back against the console a few feet away from him, she lets her eyes wander from his focused eyes to his gentle fingers on the sonic and can't help but smile a bit.

"I'm always nice to you. I've just got a better reason to be now," he mutters, setting the book down to use both hands on his work.

"Insulting my species, saying how old I look, calling me a "pudding brain." Yes, definitely quite nice and friendly," she teases, rolling her eyes. It was nice to be able to be open with him again, to be able to speak to him without worry.

"That's nice for me and you're aware of that," he responds before taking his lip between his teeth, and she can't help but stare at the gesture. She felt a bit bad for letting her mind wander to other situations where he might do that, but she couldn't help herself.

Maybe it was the hormones, but maybe it was just because she'd always been attracted to the Doctor. She wasn't sure which.

"Well, uh, just something simple. Just have the TARDIS make pasta or something," he mumbles, not caring too much about what they'd eat. He wasn't particularly hungry, but any time he got to spend with Clara would be worth it.

"Alright. Spaghetti it is," she says in conclusion, pushing herself away from the console. She wanted to stay and stare at him all night, but she obviously couldn't do that. Couldn't risk him seeing her, and he'd never been the biggest fan of hovering.

She walked to the kitchen, galley - whatever the Doctor wanted to call it and let thoughts of the spaghetti fill her mind. She had to admit that it was quite nice to not have to cook or clean up after herself on the sentient ship. It saved her time to read and grade papers.

Once the ship was put to work, she let herself wander the halls. She'd have to wait, so she might as well let herself peek around.

She'd done lots of exploring in the last week. Their adventures were usual on the outside of the gigantic place, not within the halls, and there was much of it she hadn't seen. Swimming pools, ball pits, jungle gyms. She was certain that the Doctor was actually a child at times.

Approaching the nearest door on her left, she opens it and is a bit surprised to see a bedroom. She knows it must be the Doctors since the rooms of past companions are tucked deep inside the ship, and the contents seemed to be very like him.

She contemplated if she should go inside or not. To snoop or not to snoop. It wasn't as if he hadn't gone through her room before, but she couldn't deny the nagging feeling in the back of her head that it would be an invasion of privacy.

"Hmm," she thought, looking over her shoulders. There wasn't any sign of him, so he likely wouldn't even find out. Maybe just a quick peek...

And she was inside, softly closing the door behind her.

The room itself was large, and she wasn't too surprised that the master bedroom wouldn't be tiny. It was a bit bigger than hers and much more full, filled with towering bookshelf along the walls and a large canopy bed against the back wall. A desk near the door captured her attention, covered in pieces of paper and open books with highlighted lines. Looking closer, she could see that they were all on various subjects, ranging from French cuisine to advanced robotics.

Venturing a bit further into the room, she wanders into his closet and turns on the light. Dress shirts and jackets, black pants and shoes that she knew all too well. Toward the back she could see an older jacket and selection of bowties, and she let herself smile at the memory of the Doctor with the chin and hair.

He was surprisingly well organized for his messy, rambling personality. She considered herself to be a bit impressed at the clean floor as she walked back into the room, seeing that the mess was all contained on tabletops.

Walking to his bed, she plops down on the side she can see is more worn in than the other. She'd never seen him sleep before, but she knew he must at times. Gliding her hand across the gentle dark blue comforter, she couldn't help but notice how heavily the room smelled of him. Cool and fresh and inviting, like evergreen.

Her aching back thanks her for the soft surface beneath it, but her moment of comfort is interrupted by the beeping of the oven. She frowns a bit at the thought of leaving a place that's so...him...but smiles when she realizes she gets to spend time with him.

He might hate her for being pregnant with Danny's baby, but she can't help but smile each time she sees him.

After the meal is finished and small talk had broken the tenseness between them for the night, he walks her back to her room, hands in his pockets. She dreads the moment she'll have to leave him - he's the only good thing in her life at the moment.

Leaning back against her door, she looks up at him. He smiles down at her kindly, reassuringly, and she does what she can to convince herself that there isn't pain hidden behind it.

"Doctor?"

"Hmm?" he hums, letting his focus adjust to her eyes.

"I just...well I wanted to say...thank you. For the support. And the help. It, uh, it's hasn't been easy.."

"It's no problem," he responds immediately, pulling a hand from his pocket to place it on her shoulder. "My responsibility. Duty of care, and all."

"You never have to take care of me, Doctor. You don't really have duty of care," she says, feeling shivers move down her spine at his touch.

"Yes I do, Clara. You're my best friend," and I love you, he wants to say. "It's my job."

She sighs softly, leaning her head back against the wood of the door. "Alright. Well, I still appreciate it."

He nods in response, and he feels nerves flutter through his hearts when he notices how close they truly are. His hand on her, her soft breaths against his chest, her eyelashes moving gently..

"Well, uh, yes. Of course. You're welcome," he utters to break the silence. He feels the urge to press his lips to hers, to break the tension and just show her everything.

She looks back up at him with her chocolate brown eyes, her lips parting slightly and she can't help but feel the same urge. She hopes he can't hear her heart hammering in her chest or see her hands shaking with anticipation and the want to tangle themselves in his hair.

He clears his throat, letting his bright eyes wander from the hair falling down her shoulders in gentle waves to her perfect, parted lips.

She tries her best to convince herself that it's friendship in his expression, not the love and want that's likely veiling over her face. He can't possibly want her as much as she wants him, she's just a human and he's so much more-

And then his lips are pressed against hers, and she feels her eyes flutter shut.


	5. Chapter 5

He couldn't believe that he was doing it, but he was.

He presses against her gently, moving his hand to the back of her neck hesitantly. She lets him move her face closer to his, melting into the sweet taste of his lips.

She slowly wraps her arms around his neck in return, pulling him down closer to herself. He complies, moving closer and his tongue darts across her bottom lip, asking for entrance.

She opens her mouth slightly for him, inviting him in. She can't help but notice that she loves the taste of him, the mint of his toothpaste, the sweetness of his tongue.

He's slow and gentle, taking his time to savor the kiss. He knows it can't last forever, that she'll pull away and he'll likely never get to do this again. So he takes advantage of the time he has, gliding his tongue across hers, feeling her warm breath against his skin.

She's the one to pull away as her lungs tug at her chest, begging her for air. She catches her breath slowly, fluttering her eyes open to gaze into his.

He notices that her cheeks are flushed, those warm brown eyes full of wonder and love. Her lips curl up into a small smile, and he melts at the sight of it.

He returns her grin, content to just stare down at her, uninterrupted. All the fear of this moment finally arriving, the nerves, the denial of her feelings for him - gone.

She loves the feeling in her chest. Her heart is light, floating on air, and she's not sure she can say she's ever been so happy in her life.

She isn't sure what to say, not wanting to ruin this moment. She can't express to him what the was to her. Can't possible tell him how long she's waited and longed for that moment to finally arrive. And now that it has, she's awestruck.

"...Goodnight, Clara," he says softly, looking down at her. He can't take it further tonight, no matter how much he'd like to. A kiss, a taste, it was more than he'd ever imagined he'd get. And now it was time for the moment to end, for him to give her time to regret it.

"Goodnight, Doctor.." she whispers, slowly reaching behind her to the doorknob. She opens the door and takes a step inside, her eyes never leaving him until the moment that it closes.

He shouldn't have done it.

He knew that it was wrong to take advantage of her. She was vulnerable right now, weak, not thinking clearly. She'd just lost her boyfriend and now she was going to be a single mother. She had enough to deal with without having to deal with him.

He paces around his room, his hands by his temples. Closing his eyes, he leans his forehead against the wall in frustration. There was no possible way that she really wanted him. He was damaged timelord who was doing nothing more than running from his past through time and space.

But she..she was magnificent. Intelligent and graceful, sarcastic and everything that he wished he could be. She was a human, gentle and kind. He didn't deserve her.

Maybe Danny had, after all. Through his time hating the man for having her when he couldn't, he hadn't thought of how brave he was until he sacrificed himself, supposedly just for Clara. He wanted her safe as much as the Doctor did, and he probably would've done a much better job at making her happy. He could've given her a life he knew he never could.

Sighing, he leaves the room and walks quietly down the hall until he reaches her door. He stares at it, leaning back against the wall on the opposite side. The spot where the unimaginable had just happened, the spot where he had likely just ruined everything.

He hears her breathing through the door, in and out slowly and he knows she's sleeping. He pictures her lying in the bed, her blanket pulled up over her delicate curves, her dark hair falling in waves across the pillow.

He can't help but smile sadly at the thought of her. Clara Oswald - his Clara. His companion, his friend.

No matter who she loved, who she let kiss her and touch her, who's baby she was carrying. He would always love her. She would always be his only.

Clara Oswald, the love of his life.

When she woke the next morning, she couldn't help but smile.

It had finally happened last night, soft and gentle and bloody amazing as she'd always known it would be.

Never in the thousand years would she have dreamed that he would be the one to initiate it, but she was glad that he had. Maybe it wasn't just a one sided crush after all.

Stretching, she pulls her sheets off of her body and stands. Excitement and nervousness fill her mind as she makes her way to the door, walking slowly to the console room.

She sees him before he sees her. He faces away from her, glancing down at the console, his hair disheveled from sleep.

She approaches him slowly, and a sudden unsureness floods her mind. Should she hug him? Kiss him again? God does she want to, but was he going to try and play it off as if it never happened. That wouldn't be nee for him, forgetting to save friendship.

"Good morning.." she says softly, mustering up courage as she moves next to him, leaning against the console. She looks over at him and frowns a bit at the sight of his nervous expression.

"C-Clara! Good morning. How'd you sleep?" he stutters.

"Well...Doctor, are you alright?" she asks with concern in her eyes.

"Of course I'm alright. I just- Clara I need to talk to you. I need to apologize-"

"Apologize?" she cuts him off, her curiosity taking over. "For what? You haven't done anything wrong."

"For last night...I took advantage of you. You're in a..fragile position. I never should've-"

"No," she says, attempting to hide the hurt tinging her voice. "No, Doctor, you didn't take advantage of me. If I hadn't wanted it to happen, it bloody well wouldn't have happened."

He glances up at her worriedly, taking in her words slowly. He knows she wouldn't have let it happen, but the denial of her having feelings for him overpowers it.

"I..I'm sorry. You're right," he says softly, admitting he was wrong. She couldn't help but be a bit surprised, seeing as how stubborn the Timelord was.

"I..I wanted it. I did, I wanted to kiss you. I promise, Doctor..I have for a while," she attempts to explain, words tumbling out of her mouth.

His eyes widen a bit in surprise, his denial being directly addressed. "Clara, I.."

"I understand if you didn't want it..but I did. So don't you think for a second that I didn't want you. You didn't take advantage of me, you never have."

He lets his worry melt into a small smile. She'd always been better than anyone at reassuring him. "Of course I wanted it. I always have."

Her breath hitches a bit and he listens to her soft breathing. "You..you have?"

"Of course," he says as if it had always been so obvious, moving directly in front of her. "How could I not?"

"I..I don't know," she admits, looking down. "I'm just a human, nothing special. Not like you."

He shakes his head, gently lifting her chin so she'll look at him. "You're the most extraordinary person to ever have existed. I'm no better than you - hell, you're better than I will ever be."

"That's not true.." she retorts softly, looking up into the bright blue of his eyes.

"I'll be the judge of that," he replies, inching his face closer to hers. She shivers as she feels his hot breath on her skin, parting her lips slightly.

He pauses, searching for a sign in her expression that this is okay, that it's what she wants.

She's the one the close to gap between them this time, closing her eyes and pressing her perfect lips to his, ending the separation of their worlds.


	6. Chapter 6

It had taken them what felt like decades, but the truth had finally come out. He knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her, her doubts and fears were gone.

They were always together now, holding hands on every adventure (slower paced, he'd planned out - wouldn't want to make her run too much), kissing in the TARDIS, her apartment, against walls while saving civilizations. She couldn't keep her hands off of him.

She'd grown to love the feeling of his gray locks in her hands, the pressure of his lips against hers, the soft breaths of his on her skin. She couldn't get enough of him after waiting so long, but she supposed that might be the hormones taking control.

He, however, was patient. Good at waiting - he'd waited forever for her. He didn't want to push her any further, even though he craved to make her his as much as she wanted him to.

She was six months along now, and she'd barely noticed the four that had flown by. Between tea and reading with the Doctor in the library, the trips to beaches, relaxing alien spas and teaching, he had kept herself fairly busy.

It was so much easier now that the Doctor knew everything, a weight had been lifted off her chest.

The kids in her class seemed to know before she ever had to make the announcement, and now there were notes being left on her desk in childish handwriting full of name suggestions and sex guesses. They'd taken it very well, not that she had been too concerned. She was only their teacher, after all.

She'd teach during the day and be swept off her feet by the Doctor at night. He was too impatient just for Wednesdays now - the TARDIS was at her apartment each night when she got home. The sight of the blue box at the end of a long day and him, leaning in the doorway with his loving smile made her heart melt.

She had to admit that she liked the special treatment he gave her. He'd have the TARDIS cook up whatever she was craving, do check ups on the baby every so often so she wouldn't have to pay a hospital for it and he'd even rub her feel on occasion if she'd ask.

He was happy to do it - anything for his Clara, but part of him wanted it to be over already. He wanted her to give birth and her body to settle so he could have more of her.

But for now, he settled with soft kisses and hand holding, hugging and her sitting on his lap in the library.

She was yawning now, her hand on her stomach as she stood up from the couch. The movie had ended while she was dozing off, and he was content to hold her and watch her chest heave with quiet breaths.

"Tired?" he asks, standing with her. She nods, barely able to keep her eyes open and he presses his hand to her back. Guiding her to her room, he stops at the door as he does each night while she wanders over to the bed.

"Well, I suppose I'll leave you to it," he says with a smile, leaning to grab the door knob. She sits at the foot of the bed and glances up at him sadly, causing him to stop in his tracks. "What's wrong?"

"Doctor...I want you to stay with me."

His eyes widened a bit in surprise as he turns back toward her hesitantly. "Clara, you don't have to offer tha-"

"I do. I want...I just want you to hold me, Doctor. Please," she pleaded, resting her hand on her stomach gently. He'd noticed her habit of doing so when she was nervous or scared, already protective of her child.

He nods and can't help the small smile that spreads across his face as he steps back into the room, closing the door softly behind him. He paces to her bed slowly as she lays down and places himself next to her on the soft bed.

She moves close to him, resting her head in the crook of his neck and tangling her legs with his. He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her closer before letting one hand slip up to play with her hair.

Her breaths are soft as she begins to drift off, and she smiles slightly at the feeling of his fingers in her hair.

He breathes in the scent of her strawberry shampoo, his lips curling into a smile to match hers. He likes the feeling of her breath against his neck, her warmth enveloping him in a comforting embrace.

Her voice is quiet and tinged with sleepiness as she utters the words he never imagined he'd be able to hear her say to him.

"I love you, Doctor."

His hearts beat faster in his chest and he once again widens his bright eyes, looking down at her.

She gazes up at him with love and warmth and beauty, and he melts into it.

"I love you too, Clara."


	7. Chapter 7

It was late at night when she felt the sharp pain. She let out a silent scream as she sat up and noticed the wetness pooling between her legs and making a puddle on the sheets.

The Doctor sits up the moment he hears her and rubs her back, doing what he can to soothe her.

"D-Doctor..the baby's coming.." she utters through gritted teeth, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. He immediately stands and grabs the bag they'd packed ahead of time - she'd filled it with clothes for her and the baby, hygiene products, items of comfort - and runs back to her.

He's never had to deliver a baby before and doesn't want to mess up, and Clara would likely be more comfortable in a human hospital with professionals to calm her.

Helping her out of bed, he supports her as they walk to the console room. She sits in his chair against the railing, taking shaky, labored breaths as he pilots them to a hospital in London.

His hearts ache at the sight of her in pain and he wishes he could do something, anything to take it away.

She lets out moans of pain, holding onto her stomach and biting her lip to try and keep herself silent. She doesn't want him to see her like this, in pain and writhing. She wants to shield him from it, but it's too much for her and she can't.

Her back aches and she feels her muscles tighten with each contraction as he helps her into the hospital. It's sudden and intense, sharp and tight, and she briefly considers shooting herself in the head instead of going through with it.

She's taken to a room and lays down, spreading her legs painfully as they check how far she's dilated. Her head pounds as she begs for ANYTHING to relieve this strain, and she practically cries in joy when they finally give her epidural.

The Doctor holds her hand, not minding the tight squeeze of her pained grip. He frowns at the sight of her writhing and the sounds of her pained cries, but it's natural, he knows. She'll be alright, tons of women have done it before, but he can't help but feel sorry for her.

"Alright, Miss Oswald," her doctor says in a happy tone, taking another look between her legs. "Looks like we've reached ten centimeters. It's time to have a baby."

The last three months had gone by in a flash.

The Doctor had continued to take care of her, and she spent most of her time on the TARDIS. It was too hard to be without him for a week like she did before - she missed him far too much. She'd always hated the gap in time, but her hormones made it more intense.

A month away from her due date, he'd stopped taking her on any sort of adventures that required running or risking her life. She'd protested up until then, reassuring him that she could handle herself, but his concern grew as she started to move slower, having to lug the extra weight of her child along with her.

He'd taken her elsewhere instead. Pools, spas, parks and theaters. It hadn't been quite as exciting as running for her life from aliens, but she had to admit it was better than doing nothing on the TARDIS.

She'd known it was a girl from the beginning. She could feel it - not that she expected her daughter to stay a daughter. Who knows, maybe she had a son in disguise or a they pronoun child. Any way, she would love the baby unconditionally.

The Doctor had helped her with names, but none of his suggestions seemed to be right. She'd thought about it long and hard, speaking to her bump and asking what sounded the best.

And the moment she saw her face, she knew she'd chosen something perfect.

Her eyesight was blurry as they set her on her lap, but the moment she touched the sobbing baby her pain was relieved.

Looking down at her, she lets her eyes move over her darkly pigmented skin tinged pink with her newness to the world - a perfect mix of Danny's and her own. Eyes wandering, she takes in the already thick hair of dark brown curls. Her small eyes open as she wails and Clara's breath hitches at the sight of a pair of brown eyes she knows so well from the mirror.

The Doctor stares as well, still clutching Clara's hand tightly. The sight before him is so unbelievably human, so new and beautiful, a fresh life.

She smiles widely, and he wipes tears falling from her eyes. She's exhausted, he can tell, but he knows she's far too stubborn to give up this time with her baby.

A nurse approaches a table near the bed, holding a pen and looks down at the certificate ready for them. "So, honey, we got a name?"

Clara doesn't tear her eyes away from the baby but speaks softly and tiredly, rubbing her thumb along the back of the Doctor's hand gently.

"Raven. Raven Aubrey Oswald."

The first few days go by just as quickly as the last few months. Clara sleeps through a lot of it, not that he minds - birth is a trauma.

He spends his time wandering around the hospital, sneakily helping injured and sick humans. It makes him happy to know he can help someone on his time off from planet saving adventures.

When she's awake, she holds Raven close, protectively to her chest. He knows her works has shifted, that this baby is now her primary reason for living and that she now exists to protect her.

At first, he thought he might not be able to love the baby. The product of his Clara and someone else. But now, as he holds her, he only sees Clara in her. The love of his life.

Her love for Raven spreads to him. He can't help but care for the gorgeous little human in his arms.

She can't help but smile every time she wakes up to see him holding her. Talking to her. Her love and her baby, together.

She'd never been happier.


	8. End

It touched his hearts to see her so happy.

It was as if her worry and sadness over Danny had completely disappeared. He couldn't believe how Raven had already changed her, making her happier than she'd ever been.

She'd continued rotating between sleeping and holding the baby until the day they left the hospital.

"I can take you home," he'd offered, helping her into the TARDIS. "Let you be at your apartment for a few days if you'd like."

"No," she had said quickly, looking up into his eyes. She'd held the baby close to her chest. "This is my home, Doctor..with you."

He'd loved her more than ever in that moment, and that love had done nothing but grow as he watched her care for her child.

Clara woke up each morning to hold her and feed her, staying up late to watch her sleep and to be there in case she woke. She dressed her up in cute baby converse, gave her baths, played with her and exercised her. She couldn't get enough of the baby.

Tucking her in one night, Clara quietly leaves the nursery. She leaves the door open in case and tiptoes across the hall to her bedroom, walking in to see the Doctor waiting for her in bed.

Her lips curled to a smile as she paced over to him, climbing into bed next to him. He turns to her and leans his head on his elbow before pecking her lips.

"Did she fall asleep easily?" he asks curiously, moving his fingers to the ends of her hair and playing with it.

"Yeah, went right down," she responds with another small grin.

"Good. You know...you're already an amazing mother," he says honestly, eyes trailing from her lips to her knows to the chocolate brown pools before him.

She blushes, blinking slowly. "I'm sure that's not true. I just...I love her so much, Doctor."

He knows and she can see it as he places a gentle kiss to her forehead. "As you should. I love her too."

Her smile grows from ear to ear at his response and she snakes an arm around him, pulling him closer. "And I love you, Doctor.."

"I love you too..my Clara," he whispers before pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

It hadn't taken them long, after that night. They'd gone official, and after a couple years of raising Raven together he'd proposed. She'd of course said yes, her love for him to strong to ever deny him.

Raven grew, her locks growing into long curls, her legs propelling her further up towards the sky. She'd spent lots of time on adventures with her parents, from Earth to alien parks to arcades on the moons of Galanzia.

Eventually, she'd grown curious. She loved the Doctor, but she wanted to know who her real father was. Clara told her the stories when she turned five, leaving out the gory details of his life. She'd grown to respect the man who helped create her, but she knew her dad would always be the Doctor.

Crawling into his lap as he reads in the library, she speaks quietly to not wake Clara in the chair across from them. "Daddy?"

"Yes?" he asks, looking up from his book and wrapping an arm around her.

"Do you love Mommy?"

He smiles, closing the object in his hands and sets it down next to him. "Yes. I love Mommy very much."

"Mommy loves you a lot," she says in return, kicking her feet back and forth over the edge of the chair.

"Good to hear," he smoothes her hair back, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"...daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"I know yer not my "real" daddy...but do you love me anyway?" she asks, looking up at him with sad eyes. He frowns at her concern, running his thumb along her cheek.

"Yes, Raven, I love you more than I love the TARDIS. More than I love watching the stars, traveling to new places, saving lives...I love you more than it all."

She grins widely with small baby teeth and lets out a small giggle, wrapping her small arms around his torso.

"I love you too."

"Think we should bring Mommy back to her room? She's very tired," he says, patting her small back and she nods into him.

"I wanna help. I'm a good helper," she states, springing onto her feet and approaching the sleeping Clara. The Doctor stands with her and scoops the love of his life into his arms, and Raven lifts up her feet in an attempt to help.

He carries her to their room with the help of his tiny companion and lays her down before grabbing Raven's hand and leading her to her bedroom.

"Alright. Bedtime," he tells her and walks her to her bed, helping her under the covers and tucking her in.

She yawns as her curls hit the pillow, her eyes heavy with sleep. "Nuh-night."

"Goodnight, love," he says softly. He kisses her forehead once more before leaving the room (with the door cracked open - she's terrified of the dark), and goes back to Clara.

He closes the door and slides off his shoes and jacket, climbing in next to her. He covers her up as well as himself and looks over at her, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath and it's then that he knows this is what he's always wanted.

All those years of running, hiding from himself and his feelings, keeping his walls up and letting his rules keep him from being happy. All the worry Clara couldn't love him, all the sadness over her love for Danny and worry he couldn't love their child - gone.

This was happiness. This - lying in bed next to his fiancée while their daughter sleeps in the next room. He'd never loved anyone as much as he'd loved them. Never wanted to care for and protect anyone this much.

Now, he had everything he'd ever wanted.

"Mmm...Doctor," she mumbles, half awake and cuddles up to him. She rests her head on his chest and tangles their legs together, breathing softly against his neck. "I love you."

"I love you too, Clara," he whispers. "Goodnight."

The end.

Thank you so much for reading! I really do appreciate every person following the story, every favorite and view and review. You're all amazing, and I truly hope you enjoyed the story.

(Pssstt...I named her Raven for Face The Raven. I am satan.)

I love you all!

\- Aubrey


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